Top Nav Menu

Browning X-Bolt Review

I’ve wanted to do this review for a while now and after a recent outing with the x-bolt, I had enough fresh in my mind to bring up about this rifle and do the review.

What is the Browning XBolt for?

Seems like a silly question, but it’s not. The Browning X-Bolt is NOT a hunting rifle. It is a “premium” hunting rifle. Those aren’t sarcastic quotation marks, it’s just that the Browning solves more than just the problem of what to shoot deer with. Heck, you could buy 3 Savage Axis rifles for the price of a single xbolt, and they’ll all arguably do the same basic task in the hunt. It’s in the details where the Browning shines. The Browning X-bolt retails for around $700 from Cabela’s.

Browning X-Bolt Video Review

X-Bolt Overview

Browning is known for their excellent build quality, and a bit of a tendency to add gadgets on their rifles. The A-bolt, with its weird hinged magazine and BOSS tuning thing was a bit gimmicky. With the X-bolt, they’ve happily done away with the gimmicks and replaced them with some seriously high quality hardware.

The magazine itself is incredible. A high quality plastic rotary mag. It’s light weight, yet feels so sturdy you could run it over with a truck. And here’s a big plus over the Savage centerfeed: it accepts more than 2 wsm cartridges. In fact, it fits 3! I don’t blast away willy nilly at deer, but it makes a heck of a lot of sense to have a mag that fits more than 2 rounds. Carrying over the quality, the mag “snick”s into place and does not rattle at all when moving with the rifle. The release is firmly in place on the rifle, further reducing moving parts on the mag.

The bolt is excellent as well. As a 3 lug design instead of the standard 2, it offers a shorter & faster 60° bolt throw. The bolt itself is a meaty piece of steel and it fits very precisely into the action. The precision is a bit of a downside, because it doesn’t fly forward as readily as a looser bolt (hey, I have to pick on something) The bolt design is pretty tricked out: cocking indicator, 3 position safety, an unlock button, a very reasonable bolt release, and it looks so angular and sexy. Kind of like Angelina Joli in a rifle bolt.

The scope base mounts on the Xbolt use 4 screws each, making the shape of an X, and are called “X-Lock” (everything on a Browning rifle comes with its own special trademarked name.) The integrated base/rings are very solid and a great choice if you have your scope and rifle at the shop and can try a few out for optimal height.

Feather Trigger

The Trigger on the X-Bolt is another premium part. Instead of a second safety trigger like a Savage Accutrigger or Remington Crossfire the trigger uses a simpler exterior interface and still breaks cleanly. The trigger feels pretty good.

Inflex Buttpad and Stock

The stock on the rifle I tested was synthetic, as will be most hunters xbolts. This is another area the Browning makes up for the premium price. The stock has grippy, soft touch surfaces on all the spots that matter, and a great fitting, and looking, buttpad at the back. The stock wrist is a bit thick, but it makes the rifle feel very solid. The forend doesn’t flex at all, keeping the barrel well free floated. Nice touches like the Browning logo on the metal trigger guard really round out the complete premium feel of this rifle.

Browning X-Bolt Accuracy

Accuracy on the model I tested was competitive with most bolt action rifles these days: 0.75-1″ at 100. Unless you go custom, semi-custom, or tailor handloads for your rifle, that’s what is to be expected of most hunting rifles when you find a factory load they like. Unless you’re reaching out to 600+, and you can shoot that well to boot, even 1 MOA is fine. With factory ammo that your rifle likes, you could push that max acceptable deer range to 800 providing you’ve got enough oomph, a great rangefinder, and accuracy to make the shot.

Conclusion

Like I mentioned up at the top, this isn’t just a rifle to blast deer with. It’s a better rifle to blast deer with. It feels better in the hand, it offers premium features that budget rifles do not, and it inspires confidence that your equipment will not fail you. If those appeal to you, a Browning just might be the right rifle.

safety off, action decocked

About The Hunting Gear Guy

Adriel has been hunting all his life and tries to apply a practical point of views to his reviews. Find the Hunting Gear guy on Facebook or YouTube

Are you looking for quick sight acquisition for the pigs? 1-4’s seem to be getting more popular, as they offer compact optics for close in work. Vortex Viper PST 1-4×24, Millet DMS 1-4×24, etc, etc. These scopes are light, keep a low profile on the rifle, and offer enough magnification for close in action.

Da Bear

I’ll take a look, thanks…

Don

Just spent my first day at the ranch with my new X-Bolt in .308. I hunt deer and hogs in the Texas hill country. 200 yard plus, shots are common so I put a leupold VX-2 3x-9x CDS on mine. I have a couple of A-Bolts that I love and this rifle is far superior to those in quality, feel, looks and accuracy. The trigger is sweet. My only gripe is the magazine. I have a habit of pushing unspent rounds back down into the magazine after a hunt and holding them down when I close the bolt so that it does not re-chamber. The new magazine loads like a pistol magazine and a round cannot be inserted unless the magazine is out of the gun. I’ll get used to it. I do like that the bolt can be opened while the safety is engaged. A nice fix to something that I was never comfortable with on the A-Bolt. Get one you won’t be disappointed.

Anders

What magnification is it on the Vortex ? It looks awesome by the way!

300winmag

I just purchased a brand new browning x-bolt stainless stalker in 300 win. took it to the range loaded 3 rounds in the magazine , pulled the bolt back , loaded a round in the chamber , fired 1 round and now the bolt will not pull back. I have tried over and over and others at the gun range tried, the bolt is stuck in the forward position and is somehow locked up? using Winchester rounds , brand new also. they work in my Thompson center

Bogrith

Just got a question, I’m no gun expert or anything but my x-bolt after one hunting season my safety became loose and I have no idea on how to fix it. Its not about to fall off or anything but I’m scared its going to fall off in the field. If you or anyone has any idea on how to tighten it or at least get it from wobbling every time i turn the safety on and off that would be awesome.

John

looking to buy a 300 WSM in either the Browning Hell’s Canyon model or a Sako Finnlight 85. Any thoughts on which to buy, pros and cons?Thanks

Colin J D Thornton

Pice of junk ! Browning wont warranty it . Doesn’t group half of your claim , cartridge get stuck in clip and extractor is so week it doesn’t always eject empty cases. Bought the long range SS Hunter Carbon wrap . Own a cheap Axis that shoots and I trust more

wyatt landrum

if it doesn’t group then you just must suck because i have 2 in 6.5 creedmoor that shoot .45 MOA at a hundred and have had none of the problems you just stated do you just not do general cleaning and care on your guns or what?

Colin J D Thornton

O guess I suck . Seriously? Great awnser. You know nothing about me and my cleaning regime or barrel break in procedure,s. I have been shooting and reloading over 20 years . I have savage arms right out of the box that are moa guns . I also have custom built guns that I shoot under .5 moa . If I buy a gun and it dosnt group I really must suck . My girlfriend s white gold medallion in 270 win shoots ok but it’s still not a moa gun and it also has a week extracted . But her ultralight 270 savage is a sub moa gun . All I am saying is the xbolt I purchased was definitely not a good gun . I have sold it and built another 300 win mag custom for the price I paid for the xbolt LRH so go ahead and tell everyone how great thay are . My cheap custom Winchester in 300 is sub moa all day everyday. Glad you received a good one . All 3 I have shot are not moa guns in the rest and for the $ people are paying thay should be never mind the extractor issues! Have a great day .

Not a fan

I have one in .243…my daughter is 14 and while chambering the gun fired….thank God I teach going safety. I called Browning…they won’t even look at it…my does not have a 3 point safety. On or off…on locked the bolt..